Microsoft reveals non-security updates coming next Tuesday

Next Tuesday — Patch Tuesday — Microsoft will be releasing many non-security updates in addition to the four non-critical security updates they announced earlier today.

Microsoft published descriptions of these non-security updates this afternoon, earlier than usual. Some of the descriptions are vague and unhelpful, but for others there is more detail. Where the name of the update is a link, there is a page with more detail and the update may already be available for download and manual install.

• Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows RT (KB2894853) — "...to improve protection functionality in Windows Defender"
• Update for Windows RT (KB2903938) — "This update rollup package includes performance and reliability improvements." (Open for details on specific updates.)
• Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB2904440) — "...to resolve issues in Windows."
• Update for Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012 (KB2911101) — "...to resolve issues in Windows."
• Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB2911106) — "...to resolve issues in Windows."
• Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB2913270) — "...to resolve issues in Windows."
• Update for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (KB2913431) — "...to resolve issues in Windows."
• Dynamic Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB2914220) — "Updates under Windows 8.1 Dynamic Update Category are used by Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 to obtain critical driver, component and setup improvements during initial setup."
• Update for Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012 (KB2917499) — "...to resolve issues in Windows."
• Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB2917993) — 
  Consider the following scenario:
  • You have a Windows 8.1-based device that has update 2883200 installed.
  • You rotate the device to change the screen orientation to portrait orientation.
  • You put the device horizontally.
  • You restart the device.
  • The screen rotates to landscape orientation when you log on to Windows.
  • In this scenario, the screen of the device turns black.
• Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - January 2014 (KB890830)/Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - January 2014 (KB890830) - Internet Explorer Version — "After the download, this tool runs one time to check your computer for infection by specific, prevalent malicious software (including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom) and helps remove any infection that is found. If an infection is found, the tool will display a status report the next time that you start your computer. A new version of the tool will be offered every month. If you want to manually run the tool on your computer, you can download a copy from the Microsoft Download Center, or you can run an online version from microsoft.com. This tool is not a replacement for an antivirus product. To help protect your computer, you should use an antivirus product."

These last four are listed as "changes to existing non-security content." The binaries have not changed, but metadata has.

• Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Service Pack 3 x64 Edition (KB2526305) — 
  These updates include two main categories of fixes:
  • Previously unreleased fixes that were made specifically for this service pack. In addition to general product fixes, this includes improvements in stability, performance, and security.
  • All the public updates, security updates, cumulative updates, and hotfixes that were released through August 2011.
• Update for Windows 8.1 (KB2887595) — "This update rollup package includes performance and reliability improvements for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2."
• Update for Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012 (KB2903938) — "This update rollup package includes performance and reliability improvements."
• Update for Windows 8.1 (KB2903939) — "This update rollup package includes performance and reliability improvements for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2."